Dues Ex is a world of politics, espionage, and intrigue. Dues Ex houses a beautifully dark and twisted world of perpetual night, but not that much unlike our own. As I would sneak and kill my way through the underbelly of this wonderfully seedy world Eidos has created I realized I was running around in a world much like Blade Runner… and it was awesome.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":689419,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"gbunfiltered,","session":"D"}']Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Deus Ex universe is the concept of augmentations. There use is very controversial because some view it as "playing god". I think some people might fear the idea of augmentation because it represents another step towards human/computer integration. While some one today may carry around a cell phone to ensure that constant connection with the world–with facebook, with twitter, with the rest of Bitmob. Someone in the Deus Ex universe could simply have a neural implant that allows this information to stream to them directly.
This isn't really what I am so hopeful for– at least not specifically. Imagine someone you know, say a handicapped person, that is bound to a wheelchair for whatever reason. Augmentation and other implants could offer that person the ability to walk again. Precursors to the technologies such as these are already being created and tested by organizations such as Honda , the Military , and Cyberdyne, among others.
Still another example could be the communication/speech augmentation. Imagine if someone with autism or severe social anxiety could be helped to function in social settings. Currently medication can sometimes be used to relieve these types of disabilities, but are far from perfect. Brain-based augmentation would offer the most challenge, I suspect, because they would have to interact with the brain's higher functions directly, but just imagine the possibilities that these augmentations could offer for any number of disabilities.
There are a number of "problems" to consider that would come along with this technology. One problem to consider is the use of these implants to augment otherwise perfectly healthy individuals. Such as the case in the game, many could get augmented simply for the advantages of being augmented. I would not agree that someone who wants to run faster or jump higher, because it would give them an advantage, should be allowed such things. Military applications are not something I would agree with either, but would have to be considered because they would be the a likely source of funding for this type of technology.
Another problem to consider is cost. Would this become a luxury available only to the affluent? Healthcare is still something that is hard for many to manage. I. for one, don't currently have healthcare due to a number of reasons. This type of technology would indubitable be extremely expensive and would be out of reach for most.
The final problem I will mention is upkeep. I Deus Ex they mention drugs to help the accept the implants. These drugs must be taken for the lifetime of the implant, but how long is the life of the implant? How much does it cost to fix or replace? I guess this is something you could file under "hidden costs".
There are obvious advantage (and possible disadvantages) for the use of this technology, should it ever come to be. Like all potentially great technologies, it could be used for many things noble or ignoble, but it is a range of technology that I am hopeful for and will watch closely as it develops. Even if I never see it in my lifetime, it is a very interesting area of study.